1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a search apparatus, and search method of searching for a user who can answer an inquiry from another user, and a storage medium in which a search program is stored.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a system in which a computer network is used to store a document prepared by each user in a database and the database is shared by a plurality of users. The user who uses this system sometimes desires to not only obtain the searched document but also know a user who has presented the document and useful information owned by a user engaged in a related field. However, it is difficult to describe all knowledge owned by each user in a document and store the document in a database. To solve the problem, in recent years, there has been proposed a technique of specifying the user who has presented the document, and directly communicating with the user so that useful information can be acquired.
For example, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 2001-117940 and 2000-194707, a technique of noting each user's expertise and supporting communication among the users is described. This technique comprises: extracting information concerning a person from information stored in the database; and scoring the user with the expertise owned by the user with respect to a search request. As a result of the scoring, users presumed to be suitable for satisfying a predetermined request are presented as a list.
Moreover, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 2000-76304 and 2000-259529, a technique of noting a user's personal connection is disclosed. In this technique, the personal connection is extracted from a communication history among the users on the network. When communicable users are mediated based on the personal connection, the communication among the users is supported.
However, these conventional search techniques only comprises: searching for the user based on the stored information such as a user's specialized field and a degree of interaction with a person who requires the search by the communication. Therefore, the user is not searched from a time viewpoint that a user capable of quickly answering another user's inquiry is searched.
More concretely, in the technique of scoring the user having a considerable expertise with respect to a certain search request, it is difficult to judge “the user from whom a response can quickly be obtained upon inquiring”. Moreover, the list of users extracted only from static information such as stored data and past communication history is not sometimes useful, for example, in a case in which a user familiar with certain information has to be quickly contacted.
Moreover, in the conventional search technique, an appropriate user cannot be searched and presented in some cases. That is, in the technique of scoring the user having the considerable expertise with respect to the certain search request, it is difficult for the person who has required the search to judge which user having given substantially the same score is suited. Moreover, in the technique of extracting the personal connection from the past communication history, a distance in the personal connection is determined in accordance with a frequency of the past communication. Therefore, a user who has not directly communicated is placed in a far position in the personal connection. Therefore, there is a possibility that the user having the considerable expertise is not presented as an object of inquiry.